Collections

The Massachusetts Historical Society is one of the nation’s most respected research libraries. Our extraordinary collections provide an unparalleled record of American history and are enjoyed by scholars and the public alike.

The MHS possesses a remarkable assembly of personal papers of three presidents, John Adams, John Quincy Adams, and Thomas Jefferson. The collections also contain accounts of the lives of thousands of ordinary Americans.

Browse web presentations by subject, era, or medium, or see a list of all of our online resources.

With millions of letters and diary entries, as well as photographs, maps, broadsides, artifacts, works of art, prints, and early newspapers, the MHS offers a wide-ranging perspective on the United States from the earliest beginnings of the nation to the present day.